LinkedIn recommendations are a great way to showcase your achievements further with other people writing a write-up about you. It makes your LinkedIn profile stand out compared to other users who have not yet used the option.
Just like any important LinkedIn marketing strategy, it is good to create a plan on how to ask for LinkedIn recommendations.
You need to identify your goals on why you should ask for one in the first place. Is it to update your LinkedIn profile?
Is it to gain more connections for a particular industry?
You need to make sure that you are clear on what you want to achieve by asking other people for recommendations so that you’ll be able to maximize the potential that it will offer your LinkedIn profile.
P.S. If you need to build credibility for your LinkedIn profile, it’s now possible. You can now buy LinkedIn recommendations that will help grow your business and be seen as an authority in the industry.
Who To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendation
Once you have identified what it is that you want to get out of the recommendations, it is time to check out all your connections. If you are eyeing a specific role or image that you want to project, check on which of your connections would give you the best recommendation.
Some of the connections that you have are there to open more opportunities for networking. Make sure to choose the ones who you have worked with and know you from that specific experience.
Also, gauge whether your experience with them will give you the recommendation that you are looking for. It might be that person won’t be able to respond back to you as soon as you want them because they are busy. Some might also forget about the experience that you have with them because it has been too long ago.
If there are individuals who you think will help you but they are still not on your connection list, it is a good opportunity to reach out to them. It gives you exposure to other users which can be beneficial for your job hunting or the business you have been working on.
When To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations
There’s a good time for everything which includes asking for LinkedIn recommendations. If you are asking for a response within the timeframe that you want, better check on what time you send out your request. It’s not a good idea to ask for recommendations over holidays as this might be vacation or family time for your recipient. Also, consider their working schedule as this may be a reason why they might not respond to your request.
Aside from planning the time when you send the request, it is also a good idea to time your follow-up in case they have not responded right away. Do it too soon and it might look like your spamming recommendation request from them. Follow up too late and this might be overlooked just like any other non-priority email they have on their inbox.
If your goal is to keep your LinkedIn profile, include the timing of asking for recommendations along with other activities such as updating your content or requesting endorsements. Being able to create a schedule for these tasks enables your LinkedIn profile to be promoted by the platform. You will appear more on searches and users’ news feeds.
How To Ask For Recommendations on LinkedIn
After all that planning, how do you go about it?
What are the things you need to say to your contact to get a response from them? These are some tips on this.
Asking for recommendations on LinkedIn via a web browser or the app is similar.
For more details on crafting a compelling LinkedIn recommendation, you can explore this guide.
You need to go to your LinkedIn profile and look for your connections.
From there, select the person you need to ask for a recommendation and click on the “Request a Recommendation” button.
You will fill out the Relationship and Position At The Time of the person you are requesting a recommendation from. This will then show a text box where you can create your personalized message to them.
Don’t forget to click on the Send button as this is the most crucial part of the request. Doing the steps and not clicking it will waste all your efforts.
Writing a message to the person doesn’t need to be that long.
Make sure to personalize your message and not create a template for everyone as you might not get a response from them. Don’t forget to start with a greeting as this might be your first interaction in a long while.
Highlight in your message the intention of the recommendation so that they have an idea of how you want your message to be written. It also helps to mention that you can write a recommendation back once they have given you one.
When all this has been done, don’t forget to track the requests that you have sent as well as the responses that you have received. Be proactive in requesting updates not only via LinkedIn but also through other means like email or call.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about requesting LinkedIn recommendations.
Should I ask for recommendations on LinkedIn?
Yes, definitely. It is a good way to boost your LinkedIn profile as it works as a testimonial from your colleagues on how you are in your work. It is also a good way to showcase your strengths to others without them coming from you.
How do you ask for a recommendation?
You can do this by going to your LinkedIn profile and look for your connections. From there you can select the person you want to ask for a recommendation from and click on the “Request a Recommendation” option. Don’t forget to write a good message to them so that you get the response you want.
Why do you need to ask for recommendations on LinkedIn?
It is not required to ask for or have recommendations in your LinkedIn profile. It is something good to have as it gives another person’s perspective on your profile. Most of the things that were written there are made by you. Having another person vouch for your achievements or strengths makes it have more weight compared to others.
